


Live and Relearn

by Kyubey



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Language Barrier, M/M, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-04-02 19:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4071415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyubey/pseuds/Kyubey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chrom had no idea what he was in for when he picked up the foreign man trapped within the carriage… Whither it was for better or worse could be debatable amongst various people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am weak. I really wanted to do a language barrier thing when I wanted to do a mermaid au. Weak, I tell you. WEAK. 
> 
> DONT EVEN BOTHER TRANSLATING. I literally took letters from different places and mashed them together to make something. I know what it says because GoogleDoc but you don't, I'm so sorry. I HAD A BETTER WAY OF DOING THINGS, BUT AO3 DID NOT ALLOW ME TO.
> 
> I really don't want to use Google Translate and be "that person", but fuCK I AM RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS SEND HELP

“Aw, can’t we rest, Frederick?!” whined Lissa from her horse behind the great knight, “My arse is starting to get sore from all this riding!”

The brunette chuckled. “We can rest when we reach the town. It shouldn’t be much longer, Milady.”

Lissa let out a grumble. It was Chrom’s turn to chuckle. “It won’t be long now, Lissa. We just need to patrol the area for any bandits and we’ll be back to the palace in no time.”

“I still think we could have sent Sully or Stahl,” she muttered, sore and in a sour mood. She was hungry and wanted to get out of the blazing sun. A burn was already making itself known, she was sure of it. 

“Going out every once in a while won’t kill you. Besides, all the training and Frederick’s workouts would be for nothing if we didn’t wander from the palace from time to time.” 

“If there is a reason to go out, it would be to make use of the workouts,” Lissa nodded, “I’d be upset if going through _that_ was for nothing.”

Frederick looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.”

Chom and Lissa laughed, making Frederick huff. And like Frederick said, the town was not far off and they arrived with no complications. After making sure everything was in check and their bellies filled, much to Lissa’s delight, they were on their way once more. It was then there would be a bump in the road. 

On the way back, there was a carriage ahead, probably one that had passed when they settled in town to eat. The carriage itself looked a little odd, everything looking normal except for an extra attachment on the bottom. It picked at their curiosity, so they decided to ride up and ask for a look around. 

“Excuse us!” Chrom called out as he rode up beside the two men up front. Their faces were, for the most part, covered. Suspicious. “Do you mind if we look in the carriage? It won’t take but a quick moment.”

“Ya won’t find anythin’ there,” came one man, urging the horse to keep moving. 

Chrom frowned and glanced at Frederick, who nodded and proceeded to replace Chrom’s spot while he walked his horse around. Right when he made to get in, he heard a horse whinny and the carriage take off. Gasping at the sudden boldness of the strangers, Chrom’s face hardened as he hopped back on his horse and took off after the runaways.

It wasn’t easy trying to catch up to them. With one man in the back and shooting arrows at them, it was quite difficult to get close without risking getting hit. It took a while, with having to study how the man worked and reloaded, but Chrom timed his next action perfectly. Once the man was out of arrows within that set, having to pause to reach for another, Chrom was finally able to get close enough to launch himself inside. 

The carriage tipped from side to side as the two wrestled and threw fists. When Chrom was knocked back onto a pile of hay, he used his free legs to effectively kick the opposing man out the back. It didn’t take long for him to take out the driver as well. With the carriage now stopped and the strangers being binded by Frederick, Chrom and Lissa were left to wonder what had them running from inspection. 

The added attachment on the bottom wasn’t too big, it honestly wouldn’t have caused suspicion if it was a regular feature to a normal carriage. Lissa crawled under and knocked against it, humming in thought. To her surprise, there was a knock back. Squeaking, she crawled back. “Chrom! I think there might be something in there!” 

Suddenly worried, Chrom frowned and crouched to look at the box like feature. There was another knock, this time, repetitively, and more harsh. Like something, or someone was trying to kick. Chrom rushed to find some kind of opening to let what was ever trapped out. Having found nothing from his current spot, he move inside the carriage. There was nothing. At first glance, that is. The hay was conveniently over where the box might be and it had Chrom grasping at the straws and throwing them back to dig. 

Adrenaline was pumping through his blood the closer he got. He was scared as to what he might find. Bandits were cruel individuals and he hoped he had not arrived too late for them to do something irreversible. When he finally reached something of a hidden door of some type, he grasped the handles and threw open its doors.

There was a man within the cramped looking box. His snow white hair fell away from his brown eyes as he tilted his head up to look at Chrom. Chrom’s breath caught in his throat, but thought nothing of it. Right now, he was worried about the gagged and bound man before him. Reaching down, the prince took ahold of the stranger and lifted him from his cell. 

Upon further observation, his clothes were not traditional Ylisse wardrobe. No, the colors and style had an uncanny resemblance to Plegia. It was revealing, more than what a Ylisse man would be accustomed to, but the style couldn’t be one of a common citizen of Plegia. What was he exactly? A dancer? 

“Chrom!” Lissa called out, watching him from outside, “Is that a person?! Are they okay?!”

Chrom turned his head to look at Lissa, but then back at the male in his arms. “I don’t know yet.” Standing and jumping from the carriage, Chrom settled on the grass and worked on unbinding the stranger. 

When the last of the bindings fell away, the albino was quick to crawl back away from Chrom. It had surprised him, really, but it surprised him more when he got a better look at his eyes. The brown orbs held a broken look to them, like someone had trained him to look like that. The only thing those eyes held were fear and something else Chrom couldn’t quite place.

“АБВ, ГДЕЖЗ ФХЦЧШЩЪ!”

A soft gasp left the foreigner's lips as he collided with something cold. Looking up to see Frederick’s towering form over him, he squeaked and changed the direction of his clumsy escape route. When he was far enough to see everyone, he remained frozen to his spot, his breathing panicked. Chrom couldn’t help but feel bad. He could see the man tense and afraid, as if they would slay him on the spot if he so much as tried to run. 

It certainly didn’t help that they weren’t able to understand each other. But, it did confirm that the foreigner was indeed from Plegia. “Hey…” Chrom tried softly, bringing himself into a kneeling position. The other retracted a bit, eyes skidding between him and the others. He paused for a moment, wondering how to go about this carefully…

“I’m Lissa,” his sister cut in, smiling and putting a hand to herself and then to Chrom, “This is Chrom and that over there is Frederick!” 

No response, but his eyes followed the introduced. Chrom thought that was a good start and tried again. “I’m Chrom,” he stated and followed after with a tap to his chest before pointing to the others, “Lissa and Frederick.” 

He looked to have caught what was going on and slowly nodded. “Rōbin,” he answered quietly, almost inaudible. 

“Robin?” Chrom repeated, a nod in reply, “Robin… Okay, words? Do you know any?”

Uncomfortable, Robin fidgeted. “Y… Yes.”

A sigh of relief escaped Chrom. “Oh, good! I thought you might not be able to understand us!” 

Robin looked at him with confusion, still tense, even more so since Chrom raised his voice. Blinking, Chrom scratched the back of his head. “Do you know anything other than ‘yes’?”

A pause. “No?”

“Right. Yes and no. At least that is something.”

“What are we going to do, Chrom?” Lissa questioned, frowning, “We can’t just leave him here.”

“Yeah, I know. We won’t, believe me. Just trying to gage the situation right now. I think once we get back home, we can find out more.”

“Are you insisting he comes to the palace with us?” Frederick cut in, sounding displeased, “Milord, I think we should rethink that notion. He is lost, yes, but to bring him to the palace? The man is obviously Plegian, so this may very well be a trap.”

Chrom shook his head. “And what do you think we should do, Frederick? Take him to town and drop him off? The citizens are tolerable of foreigners, but you know how they get with Plegians. I’m not about to toss wolves meat.”

Frederick, who wanted to retort, could not find anything to refute a fact. It was true. Since Chrom’s father initiated unwanted battles with the other country, the people were still bitter towards the other party; even towards the royal children at one point. Chrom stood up, eyes locked on Robin’s as he slowly took steps towards him. It looked as if they had trust to gain still since Robin was again scrambling back until he hit a tree. 

When Chrom reached down, he frowned when he saw Robin flinch and turn his head away. What in this world happened to make him react in such a way? Yes, they were strangers, but Chrom thought he was being very cautious and showed he meant to harm. Glancing to his Falchion, he took a moment to think, before taking it in his hand and tossing it to the side.

The sound made Robin jump, whipping his head up to look at Chrom and the hand he offered, then to the discarded sword. When his eyes returned to his, they stared, waiting. Chrom couldn’t get over the stranger’s eyes. He looked vulnerable and overall hurt, both things Chrom wanted to get rid of by the time Robin was able to fend for himself. He’d feel better if Robin left him with a knowing, confident glint in his eyes. 

Gulping, Robin brought a slightly shaking hand to Chrom’s. He offered a smile and pulled Robin up. They continued staring at each other, as if Chrom was trying to convey his purpose. 

“Milord, if you are set on bringing him to the capital, then at least allow me to be the one to escort him.”

“Oh, Frederick!” Lissa sighed, exasperated, “Poor Robin is scared out of his wits and you are still so wary of him! You think he’ll attack Chrom after seeing him being so scared? I think he thinks _we_ are the ones going to hurt him!”

“I’m only taking precautions. We can’t risk anything.”

Lissa huffed. Chrom chuckled, but didn’t argue. He might as well let Frederick do this to set his mind at ease. Taking up his sword, he walked over to the horses with Robin in tow. “Oh. Robin, you go with Frederick.” Robin blinked and tilted his head. Chrom pointed to Frederick getting on his horse. “Frederick.” 

It was the kight’s turn to offer his hand when he trotted up. Looking at it, then to Chrom, he hesitated to grab it and pull himself on behind Frederick. Chrom smiled at him and led the way back to the capital. They rode in silence, for the most part, until Lissa came up beside Chrom, her voice hushed. 

“He has marks on his back, Chrom,” she stated, giving him a worried look, “Some look recent… I think they may be whip marks.”

The news made Chrom clench the reigns, his brows furrowing. “Whips marks? Do you think he was some sort of slave?”

“There is no telling,” Lissa continued whispering, avoiding looking over her shoulder to bring Robin uneasiness, “I can’t think of any other reason as to why he’d have them on his back, though.”

“Will you give a full medical check when we return?”

Lissa nodded, determined. “Of course! Well, if he’ll let me.”

It looks like there was a lot to find out about Robin. Hopefully, it would _just_ be whip marks. The thought of anything else made Chrom sick and angry. To even whip someone was wrong, so to go as far as to practice slavery was immoral and offended Chrom. But, it would explain why Robin tried to shield himself away and flinched at the slightest movement made towards him. 

Still, he wanted to know the whole story behind Robin. Emmeryn could help with that, he knew. They didn’t have a translator, but his sister took it upon herself to learn Plegia’s language herself. Chrom was soon to follow once he stopped procrastinating. He rubbed his neck and sighed. If only he’d been taking the lessons he was meant to take up long before, then this whole thing would be so much easier. 

Getting through the city without commotion was impossible, especially since a man in Plegian wears was accompanying them. They had first caught sight of their prince and princess before turning their attentions to the stranger riding with their trusted knight. It was more silent than usual, whispers now being exchanged with stares and points. There were no complications, thankfully, and they arrived at the palace without incident. 

“Lissa,” Chrom says as he dismounts, “I’m going to go get Emm. Can you do that examination now? You can go with her, Frederick, if it makes you feel more at ease.”

“I’ll do just that, Milord.”

Robin stood in his spot, nervous and tense, his gaze burning holes into Chrom. Chrom smiled and gestured to Lissa. “Go with Lissa.”

Lissa held her hand out, grinning as she waved. The albino stood around for a few seconds before finally stepping forward to take Lissa’s hand and following her into their home with Frederick trailing behind. True to his word, the prince went to find his sister.

“Emm!” Chrom called out when finding her with her pegasus knight, “Emm, I need your help.”

The Exalt stepped away from her knight and approached Chrom, wearing that thoughtful look she always had, “What can I do to help?”

Chrom got to explaining; the carriage, Robin and his apparent background along with his nerves, the language barrier, and the marks. All of which Emmeryn listened carefully, taking in every detail. “Can you talk to him?” he finally finished, frowning.

“Of course, Chrom,” she replied firmly, determined to help, “Lead me to him.”

They arrived at the medic area just as Lissa was leaving, assuming to be, Robin’s room. When she caught sight of both her older siblings, she ran up. The closer she got, the more worried Chrom became. She looked serious, a strong frown holding its place on her face. “What’s going on?”

Lissa looked between the two. “Well, I looked him over. He won’t let me see his hand, but the rest of his body… It’s bad. There are a lot of marks, ones not from weapons like on his back, b-but-”

“Lissa,” Emm interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Don’t continue if it makes you uncomfortable. Just answer me this: when you say marks aren’t from weapons, do you mean sexually? Someone assaulted him?” 

Chrom’s breath caught in his throat. He had hoped to avoid that topic completely, but Lissa’s nod only made him feel cold. So he had come too late… “Damn them,” he growled out, wanting nothing more than to bring justice. Painful justice. 

Emmeryn closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. “I see… I hope we can help him overcome any and all scarring he may have. Come, let’s go talk to him.” 

Eager, the two siblings followed their older sister to Robin’s temporary room. When they entered, they found Frederick staring Robin down, who was just standing in the middle of the room. “I tried to get him to sit on the bed, but he was too scared to,” Lissa informed. 

“Здравствуйте,” Emmeryn smiled. It threw Robin off and he was instantly talking faster than a horse could run. The blonde woman held her hand out. “Ббвгдж, зЖПФ Ий Л ЦЩЭЮ .”

Robin shook his head, taking a step away from the bed. “Вавств Зйт однре.”

“Ничего страшного аэы уоя. Пёюи. бвг джз, Дёp БбПФ Эст Ю.”

Robin remained unsure and hesitant, but looked to the bed, then at Emmeryn. When she flashed a smile and nodded, he maintained eye contact as he sat, as if waiting for her to change her mind or something of the sort. Emmeryn stepped forward and kneeled before the man, her eyes studying him. “Цуйт I вст шног траш?”

That made him bring up his covered hand and clutch at it. “Нет. Шф жног иче вгдж.”

“I титеон нет ниго страшного. Я сейчас тоя время, свободно выйти. Я хочу помочь… Мне нужно знать, что вы, прежде чем я могу. Сестра не сказал, что вы не шоу руку, чувствую, что я знаю, что вы скрываете.” she pleaded, urging Robin to let her examine his hand.

Robin trembled, growing more upset as he and Emmeryn talked. She never once let her voice rise, as expected. Chrom watched as, eventually, the albino surrendered his hand, though it was shaking like a leaf in the wind. His sister was careful to push back the leather, but he still flinched when his skin was exposed. When she gasped, Robin ripped his hand away and covered it once more. A grave look came upon Emmeryn’s face. 

“Простите…” she whispered, placing a hand on his knee, “Я понимаю… Покляите проймтие руку. Пожуйалста, не бльноо ,как и дируге” 

Emmeryn looked over her shoulder. “Chrom, Lissa, could you give us a moment? You too, Frederick. I just want Robin to feel more at ease.”

Confused and curious, but not wanting to disobey, Chrom left with his friend and sister, throwing Robin one last glance before shutting the door. He remained there for a long time, long enough to where the sun was already starting to set. When Emmeryn finally left the room, she was frowning and clutching her hands together. 

“Emm…?”

She responded by looking up. “Chrom,” she started, her voice quiet, “that poor man… Follow me, and I’ll tell you the details.”

Swallowing, he could only feel dread as he followed his sister to a more private location. When they settled and made sure they wouldn’t be interrupted, Emmeryn spoke up. “Robin, as you know, is from Plegia. You remember the cult, Grimleal, that worship the Fell Dragon?” she waited for Chrom to give confirmation before continuing. “Robin was raised into that group. The hand he refuses to show has their brand. From what I’m told, it signifies that he is a sacrifice.” 

“Sacrifice?!” Chrom gasped, “I didn’t even know people still _practiced_ that!”

Emmeryn nodded solemnly. “It is true. I’ve only read about it, but to hear that it still goes on… It breaks my heart. That mark carries a heavy burden. They are treated with respect amongst the common citizens, but within the cult…” she paused, biting her lip, “They try to corrupt the sacrifice as much as possible before the offering.”

Chrom really didn’t want to ask, feeling like he knew already from what Lissa had examined, but he continued anyway. “What… do they do to corrupt him?”

“Anything that will damage him and make him impure. The Fell Dragon feeds off such things, so it is only natural they think to offer someone hurt and broken.”

“That is disgusting,” Chrom gritted out, glaring at the desk separating them. 

“I agree… Which is why we need to be very careful with him. The holder of the mark has gone through so much abuse and strict rules.”

“Do you think we can urge him to unlearn what he was taught?”

“Through time and practice,” she nodded, then smiled at Chrom, “I think we can do it. I’ll start teaching him our language to start. How about you get him settled in and fed? Robin told me he doesn’t sleep in beds; he is punished for even attempting to rest on one. Maybe you can put him at ease and give him his own room? I’ve already told him he’d be receiving one, but having him sleep on the floor instead of the bed might be expected.”

“You can count on me. I’ll let Lissa know and have her continue with the examinations.”

“Yes, that would be good… And, Chrom?”

Chrom moved to stand. “Yeah?”

“Try to get Robin accustomed to his surroundings first before introducing him to the Shepherds, alright? We don’t want to overwhelm him with so many different personalities.”


	2. Chapter 2

Robin refused to leave the safety of his room. No matter how hard Chrom tried to persuade him, the foreigner would not take a step out of his safety zone. The prince did not try to force him out, but he wouldn’t be lying if he said he was a little disappointed. He wanted to show Robin around, show him that there was more to what he was looking at out the window. And honestly, Chrom felt a bit useless as of now.

Emmeryn stopped by Robin’s room every day for hours on end. They would be alone, allowing Robin to relax as he took up his language lessons by the Exalt herself. From what Chrom gathered, he was more talkative with her than himself. Whenever Chrom was around, Robin kept silent most of the time. If anything, he’d like to hear what the albino has learned over the course of a few days. Emmeryn had been nearly bragging about how well he takes in information.

Lissa played a big role, too; doing daily examinations to see his body’s progress as well as study him. He still refused to show her his hand, but that was alright as long as everything else was functioning properly. 

Frederick even helped. The knight had said if the man was going to be here and keep himself locked up, he might as well keep him in shape. It was the best way to monitor him as well as provide some sort of assistance, he said. Chrom cringed a bit, knowing that Frederick tended to go overboard with his exercise regimes. 

And Chrom? Well, he just made sure he was fed and not sleeping on the floor. Anyone could do that though, so thus Chrom felt useless. As much as he wanted to show Robin around, the other refused Chrom’s efforts of trying to play a bigger role in his wellbeing. 

“Robin?” the prince called out softly, the candle he held making his figure stand out against the blackness of the night shaded room. With no answer, he stepped in and saw that Robin was not in bed.

With the door shut behind him, Chrom proceeded with his nightly routine. Find Robin, sit and offer the bed only to be refused, and keep at it until he slept so that he could tuck him in himself. That’s how it had been for the last few days and Robin was now well acquainted with the word “bed”. When Chrom rounded the bed he had expected to see the man on the floor. To his surprise, he was not there, throwing the prince off a bit as he tilted his head and looked around.

The room wasn’t too big and it wasn’t like there was a lot of furniture he could hide behind effectively. The thought of him leaving the room was already ruled out, so he must still be here somewhere. When Chrom glanced to the bed, he smiled ever so slightly and shook his head. He moved to lay himself down on the floor and brought the candle a little closer to the bed. 

“There are better places to take a nap than the ground, you know?”

Brown eyes stared into blue silently. He looked a little embarrassed and curled up a bit before looking away. Chrom decided not to say anything and remained as he was on the ground in silence for a long while. When the hidden man’s eyes flicked up to meet Chrom’s gaze once more, he held it and waited. 

“You know,” the darker haired male began, “The bed is so much nicer. You wake up every morning feeling better after I put you in, right?” He paused. “I remember when _I_ got my first bed. I was actually terrified and…”

Chrom kept going on about being scared of made up monsters that would hide under his bed and take his things when actually he was bad at leaving his stuff laying around and would end up being pushed under the bed. That, and he would never leave his bed in the middle of the night, not wanting to risk getting pulled under. Robin kept listening and watching the prince as he talked enough for the both of them, seemingly comfortable. 

“Tired?” Chrom asked. Robin didn’t reply. “Bed?”

Half lidded eyes blinked slowly, as if they were getting ready to stay shut for the night. Then, Robin reached out towards Chrom, who took his hand and then sat up, mindful of the candle. Ever so slowly, Robin pushed himself from his spot under the bed and towards Chrom, sitting up in front of him with tired eyes. 

“Bed?” he tried again.

Robin mumbled and shook his head. “No…”

“But the bed.”

“No.” Robin rubbed his eyes and nearly let himself fall forward.

Chrom was quick to catch the sleepy male before he face planted onto his crotch, thank the gods. Robin kept muttering something, but none of it was understandable. Chrom maneuvered himself to where he could tuck his arms under Robin’s legs and bring him up to put him to bed. He must have talked Robin’s ears off and eyes to sleep, because the man gave little to no hassle when he set him on the bed.

When he pulled away, he watched him for a moment, as if waiting for Robin to hop out. It never came. Robin’s breaths were long and deep, set in a slow rhythm. Even when Chrom confirmed he had been sleeping, he remained in his spot for a bit longer just… staring. Wondering. He was very mysterious and distant, all the right to being given the information Emmeryn told. Still… There was something else he was curious about, which was odd being that Chrom didn’t even know what _it_ was. Maybe he was waiting for Robin to finally open himself up so that he could truly see him. 

Deciding not to stand around much longer, Chrom quietly took his leave for the night.

 

The next day, Chrom decided to visit Robin during his lessons with the excuse of bringing food. He knocked before entering, seeing both his sister and Robin at the small desk with paper and a few books. Robin’s shoulders tensed, but then dropped when he saw it was Chrom, who offered a smile and approached them with a tray. 

He set it on top of a book and glanced between the two. “So… Any progress today?”

Emmeryn looked at Robin with glee. “Oh, yes. Robin is so eager to learn and he just takes everything in like a sponge. It is actually surprising he managed to learn this much in such a small period of time!”

“Maybe he studies at night before I come.”

“Perhaps. Either way, it is still remarkable.”

Chrom hummed and caught Robin’s stare. “Could… he talk to me?”

“Maybe a little bit if he wanted,” she nodded, “Nothing too complex at the moment. Greetings, goodbyes… Small things to just get him around for now.”

“Right. I’ll leave you two then…” At first, he didn’t move, expecting Robin to say something. But alas, he did not, and he left with a sigh.

Later in the day, after Frederick had probably worked Robin’s poor muscles out, the prince stopped by again. This time, only Robin was at the desk, sitting over papers that were presumably notes from Emmeryn’s lesson. He jumped when Chrom took a seat next to him and recoiled a bit and looked down as if he did something wrong. 

“Studying hard?”

Straightforward. “Yes.”

Chrom tried to think of what else to say to keep the conversation going. Yes and no questions would still be difficult since the whole lack of knowledge on both sides. When an idea hit him, he grabbed at a paper on the desk and doodled what was supposed to be a castle and then two pictures of what was supposed to be Robin, one smiling and one frowning. He offered the paper with a sheepish smile and scratched his cheek. 

“I know we can’t speak to one another right now, but a picture is worth a thousand words…?”

Robin looked the sheet of paper over. Then, slowly, he circled one, the happy one, which in turn made Chrom happy. Chrom took the paper back and then drew the same faces, but under each other. Next to the frowning one, he drew a bed and offered it back. It got Robin to smile a bit and Chrom couldn’t be more happier. 

And that’s how Robin and Chrom spent the next few hours, drawing back and forth and completing a list of likes and dislikes. So far, he found out the albino liked him and the gang as of now, being outside of Plegia, learning with Emmeryn, baths, and pillows. 

As far as his dislikes… Still didn’t like sleeping in the bed, Frederick’s intense workouts, how cold it was here compared to Plegia, going out into the open, not being able to talk, feeling afraid, and knowing nothing. The list soon drifted more towards the both of them drawing small things and then getting a good laugh out of it. It lasted until Lissa had to kick him out for her daily examination, much to both their disappointment. 

But, Chrom did leave much happier than he was when he entered. He felt like he was able to connect with Robin more and thought of doing more drawing sessions like today to keep that connection going until he was able to speak. He may not be Ylisse’s best artist, but it wouldn’t keep him from attempting to get closer to the foreigner.

And that’s just what he did. Day after day, almost a week, Chrom would stop in after or during lunch to continue what they started. First it had been a list to get things started, then random doodles, which they still tended to do, but now it was predominantly stories. Chrom tried illustrating the time when he lost Lissa in the town when they were kids, or when Emmeryn was struck by a rock by one of their fellow citizens. He also tried explaining the idea of the Shepherds and who they were, but after getting past that he led them and they performed regular patrols around Ylisse, it got too confusing to explain anything else. Even though he was drawing, he had a tendency to talk it out as well, even knowing full well Robin couldn’t understand him.

In return for Chrom’s many stories, Robin would throw in some of his own. He was taken away from his mother by a young age by some strange man. The picture of said man looked kind of creepy. Where he slept was dark with one bed he was not allowed to use, he did not go out unless the creepy man allowed him to, and…

Just all of his stories weren’t so light-hearted; not unless they had something to do with his time with Frederick or Emmeryn. 

It was sad. It hurt to watch him draw all this out with a trembling hand. During one picture, Chrom had to rest his own on top of Robin’s, making the other snap his head up with teary eyes. They both gazed at one another before Chrom smiled a little, telling him that he was okay and safe now. Words that Robin did not understand, but yet, found himself relaxing.

All in all, this was a good- no, great development, Chrom thought. He was delighted at the new bond they were building and hoped he could continue it so that they could do even more things together. At the rate they were going at, it wouldn’t be long before maybe he would let him take him outside.

Currently, Chrom sat in the dining hall early morning with Emmeryn the rest of the Shepherds, casually eating and talking like they normally do. 

That was until they heard a loud cry.

Chrom’s conversation came to an immediate halt, looking to his sisters and Frederick to see if they heard the same thing. By their looks, they did, and all four of them jumped up, the rest of the Shepherds doing the same as they voiced their questions. The cry sounded oddly familiar to one person, one that had Chrom racing towards the door which it came from.


	3. Chapter 3

Chrom scrambled towards the exit of the dining hall. The scream was fairly close, just outside room, so the distance was not long to travel. Still, it didn’t ease him any; knowing _something_ happened. When he rounded the corner, he could see Sully holding Robin’s wrist up high in her tight grip, frowning down at Robin’s struggling form. 

“No, No!” he continued to cry, trying to pry his arm away. “No! Chrom! Chrom!” 

“Sully!” Chrom barked, making the redhead’s, and Robin’s, head snap up to meet his gaze, “Release him!” 

No questions were asked, for now, as she immediately relaxed her grip. Robin ripped his wrist from her hand before rushing straight to Chrom. Chrom opened his arms out just before Robin crashed into him, nearly knocking the wind out of him. The shorter male trembled, whispering things in Plegian as he kept his face hidden in Chrom’s chest. 

All were silent, all staring at Chrom and waiting for an explanation. 

“I thought he was some spy or somethin’,” Sully spoke up, scratching the back of her head as she watched Robin try to hide himself with Chrom, “Came around the corner to see him snooping near the doors and thought I’d question him.”

“Scare him half to death, you mean!” Lissa huffed, setting her hands on her hips, “But I guess we can’t really blame you… You didn’t know.”

“Yeah, and now would be a good time to know.”

“If I may explain,” Emmeryn stepped in, taking her place next to Chrom. Robin looked up from Chrom’s chest to look at her, to which she smiled and said something to make him pull away from Chrom a bit and look to all the new people. 

“Robin is going to be a guest here for a while. He has been for a little while now, but we couldn’t say anything until he was more comfortable with his surroundings,” she started glancing to Robin, and chuckling a bit, “It is actually a surprise to see that he has wandered out from his room! His hold on our language is a little shaky at the moment, but he’s been improving the more I’ve worked with him.”

“But he’s Plegian!” a blonde male complained, Vaike, “What if he is a spy?”

“Trust me, he’s not,” Chrom replied firmly, as if that was the end of that.

“You all need to trust us on this,” Lissa speaks up, “Give him a chance.”

When all went silent once more, Chrom felt Robin fidget in his hold and looked down. He looked flustered, opening and closing his mouth as if wanting to say something… Then, after another moment of hesitation, Robin looked over Chrom’s shoulder to peek at the others. 

“N… Naic zoo meech you….” 

Chrom’s breath caught in his throat as Emmeryn quietly corrected him. 

“A-Ah. Nice to meet you.”

Emmeryn nodded, proud, as she clapped her hands in encouragement quietly. 

“He’s a darling…” Cordelia muttered, resting her hands on her cheeks as she smiled at the mop of white hair poking up from behind Chrom’s shoulder. 

“His accent is so cute!” Sumia gushed and clapped her hands together. 

“His clothes are hideous.”

“Now, Maribelle…” Lissa sighed. 

“He won’t wear the ones I present him with,” Frederick sighed.

Chrom had everyone tuned out, because the most important thing right now was Robin actually spoke and Naga, he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t endearing. Robin must still be too nervous to be with the others, because after a short talk with Emmeryn, she asked that Chrom escort him back to his room. 

He did so, having his arm around the other’s shoulder as he did. Once in the safety of his room, Robin made a dive into his bed and hid under the covers, surprising Chrom once more. 

“R-Robin…” he breathed out, walking over to sit on the bed and stare at the lump in the sheets, “You can speak…?”

There was a pause. It was almost as if he was processing his words. Slowly, he allowed his head to peek out from the sheets. “Not… Not enough.”

Chrom stared, amazed. He knew Robin’s voice, but… it was… different. Different when he spoke in his language. It was nice. Very nice. The prince smiled at Robin, who flushed and hid again. 

“That’s great. You really are learning a lot.”

“Y-Yes.”

 

Ever since that day, Robin did not speak much more of the language he was learning. It was a shame. Chrom tried hard to get him to speak more, but only got shakes or nods of the head. Had Chrom said something to turn him off to speaking to him? He couldn’t think of anything, but maybe it was less him, and more of the Shepherds. 

Robin, after locking himself in his room for a few days, would cautiously follow Chrom out after he’d stop by and do their usual drawing sessions. He’d trail a little ways back from Chrom, as if not wanting to disturb him, but as soon as other voices were heard, he would scurry on up to him and stick close. And so, finally, step by step, he could show Robin his home. Ylisse. 

Couldn’t go too big, so for now, he would show him the palace, trying for a new thing each day. When they stopped by the Shepherd’s hall, Chrom had lost Robin for a short moment when Sumia took a tumble. 

“Who dresses you?”

“Sorry…?”

Ah, here we go.

“Your clothes. Absolutely gross,” Maribelle scowled, “I demand to know who gave you such garbage!” 

“... Sorry?”

“Clothes. New clothes. You’re in Ylisse now, the palace of all places, so fine clothing must be a must. I’m sure Chrom would appreciate it since you are always around him.”

Chrom groaned as he approached. Robin glanced towards Vaike, who was bare chested and, well, lacked fine clothing.

“Vaike doesn’t count. He’s barbaric.”

“Maribelle, I know you are… trying to encourage a new style for him, but as it is, he isn’t comfortable with a lot of things. Let him adjust more.”

The girl rolled her eyes, saying something that it needed to be soon, and walked away. Chrom shook his head and nervously smiled at Robin, who was looking himself over. 

“Sorry. Maribelle likes her opinions to be known.”

“Hm…”

 

When Chrom came in during his next visit, he stopped short at the door. Frederick fixed whatever Robin nervously pulled at, but seemed over all please at his change of wardrobe. His knight must have received news of him being cold, because now instead of thin and form fitting clothing, a purple cloak was draped over his shoulders. Under it was more fitting clothing, but not as tight as his last uniform was. 

It was a very nice change. 

“-able. Milord? Milord.”

“Huh, wha?”

Frederick raised a brow at him. “I was asking if this was more suitable.”

“Yes! Yes, yeah, it is. He looks… different, does he not?”

“I suppose he does,” he hummed as he lightly smacked at Robin’s hands that were once again pulling at his tucked shirt, “But not a bad different.”

“Yes, not bad…”

Robin finally looked up. He didn’t know why the eye contact made him jump, but it did. 

“New clothes.”

At that, Chrom couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, new clothes. Better?”

Robin stared and then looked down at himself. With a tiny smile, he nodded. “Better.”

Chrom must have gotten caught up in staring at Robin, because his brown eyes displayed confusion the more he stood there wordlessly. “Er, right! Outside. Wanted… to show you around outside. Come, Robin!” 

The cloak flowed behind him as he moved to follow the prince. He slowed his pace down so that Robin would be forced to walk beside him rather than behind. They were silent, which made Chrom a little nervous…

“Will you speak to me?”

“Soon.”


	4. Chapter 4

Getting Robin to go outside was another obstacle of its own. He had been doing fine following the prince to the doors, but when Chrom walked out, he noticed the lack of another set of steps. Turning, he saw Robin staying behind, gazing the outdoors from his spot inside. It was a little odd, never seeing someone look so cautious and… scared to take a step outside. He tried calling for Robin from his spot, making a ‘come over here’ gesture. The Plegian shook his head lightly, now seeming uncomfortable and nervous. 

Not at all upset by the set back, the blue-haired man offered a smile and approached the albino. He took a seat next to him, tugging at his new cloak for him to do the same. He did so quite reluctantly, setting his hands on top of his knees. They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, but Chrom didn’t mind. 

“It’s pretty out today, isn’t it?” Chrom hummed, looking at the clouds. Robin didn’t reply, but he glanced over to him. “It’s a nice day to show you the garden. I think you’ll like it there. It is quiet most of the time.”

Again, no response. Chrom was curious about his hesitation to go outside, but he felt like he already knew the answer if he were to ask… The thought made him frown a bit. 

“Wouldn’t you like to go outside?” he spoke again, tilting his head towards his companion, “You wouldn’t want to stay inside all day. Fresh air would be a nice change!” 

Robin fidgeted, but otherwise made no comment. Chrom hummed in thought, then nudged him lightly before kicking his leg out so it was past the border of where the door met stone path. Robin watched, unsure of what to do until Chrom poked at his leg and pointed it out the door. Chrom would repeat the action of swinging his leg out and back in before Robin hesitantly did the same. Slowly, his foot slid across the border until sun hit his boots. For a moment, he thought the Plegian might shriek and pull his leg back because he got burnt somehow. 

When Chrom saw Robin lose the tension in his shoulders, he kicked his other leg out. Again, it took a few tries to get Robin to cooperate, but he pulled through. Then, finally, after multiple baby steps, he managed to get Robin standing outside. The only thing left to do was walk and Robin knew how to do that pretty well. 

While Robin was standing around, lost in his own thoughts as he whipped his head every which way, Chrom gently took him by the end of his cloak and tugged him forward a bit. “Come on, there is a lot to see other than a few bushes and trees.”

Robin was nearly glued to Chrom during most of the walk, but the prince would ask that he interact with the environment more. So, as if expecting to be dragged away, he tentatively took side steps to a flower bush, holding his gaze with Chrom. When he saw Chrom would not make a move, he bent down to brush his fingers against the soft petals of a white flower. The look that came over Robin made the Ylissian’s heart skip a beat.

If that look made his his heart skip, then Robin’s experience with the water fountain made his heart stop. The garden was simple enough- it was like a mini maze with low hedges of flowers. In the middle was a big water fountain that one could almost swim in. Absolutely enthralled, the albino bounded forward and thrusted his hand out towards the thin layer of water that waterfalled. He bounced on his feet excitedly and whipped his head back towards Chrom, a goofy smile played on his lips. 

By the time Chrom scheduled to go back in, Robin was tugging back at his cape lightly. “Chrom! Chrom!” he would whine, still excited at being outside and probably wanting to explore more. Honestly, he reminded him of a cat that wanted something; constantly mewling and rubbing or tugging against someone. 

 

The next day, Chrom went to go deliver Robin’s breakfast to find Miriel just leaving his room. Odd, but he would ask later about it. After watching him eat and draw, he led him to the balcony of the palace so that he may look over the town in whole- so that he would be more aware of what he was looking at when time came to show him the city.

After, he led Robin back to the garden, where he was free to run around and observe everything quite enthusiastically. At one point, Chrom thought he may have gotten lost since he did not return before darting back off. When he went to search, he found Robin had not been too far off eating at a berry bush, looking towards Chrom with a small wave before offering him a berry. The two sat there for a long time eating berries, Robin listening to Chrom tell stories until Frederick came to fetch them for supper.

It was the first time Robin had ever eaten with the group. He had his place between Lissa and Chrom, ducking his head rather shyly when the others began to file into the room. Once they say a new face at the table, most rushed to ask questions. Maribelle complimented him on his change of wardrobe. Lissa has to fend off all the questions being thrown around, saying Robin probably couldn’t answer them just yet because of the language barrier. Chrom saw Emmeryn smile knowingly and he couldn’t help but think Robin knew more than what he was letting on.

The next place Robin was introduced to was the library, as instructed by his sister. He was glad he did, because Robin got even more excited at being surrounded by shelves upon shelves worth of books. Chrom sat at one of the desks and watched Robin dart back and forth, occasionally bringing out books and setting them on a desk before running off again. By the end of it, there were about five stacks of books and Chrom felt like those wouldn’t be the last piles. 

Whenever Robin wasn’t doing lessons, being shown around, doing whatever he was doing with Miriel, or even drawing with Chrom, he was playing chess with either Emmeryn or Frederick. Lissa gave it a shot, but lost. One could only assume it was because he started playing with _Emmeryn_ right off. Perhaps he ought to get Virion to give it a shot as well. 

One night, it was storming particularly bad, so the prince thought he should check in on Robin. It was reasonable since the man did have fears over basic things- but for good reason. He half expected to see Robin curled up and trembling, or even throwing himself onto Chrom due to his fright of the booming thunder. Instead, he found Robin at the window gazing at the sky, his mouth dropping open in amazement when the dark clouds lit up with lightening that was followed by thunder. 

Chrom sat next to him silently, giving a smile when Robin jumped and turned towards him. The two sat there in comfortable silence watching the rain and lightning. In the morning, it was Miriel that found them leaning against one another peacefully sleeping. 

 

“Why don’t you give it a try, Robin?” Emmeryn asked with a smile. 

Chrom, along with the rest of the Shepherds, were outside during a hot day training and sparring with one another. Robin had been in the shade with the Exalt, watching with delight and curiosity. His eyes would dart back and forth as if trying to watch _everyone_. Out of everyone, Ricken’s way of taking down a dummy interested him most. 

Somewhat surprised at the offer, Robin jolted back a bit before glancing between her and the dummies. With a little more quiet encouragement, she got up and walked with Robin to Ricken, kindly asking if she may borrow his tome. Chrom and others noticed Robin’s change of location and were immediately interested. Miriel, upon seeing him, made her way over. With a little more encouragement, the foreigner took the tome and steadied himself. 

Nothing was happening at first and Chrom could see Robin frown and start to lower his head in defeat. Not allowing it, Miriel quietly instructed him and tapped the magical book before stepping away. This time, with a focused gaze and steady hand. The tome shook a bit under his touch, producing light and traces of spark. Before they knew it, there was a loud shout of ‘El Fire!’ and a wave of flames engulfing the wooden dummy.

Robin didn’t seem to noticed the audience he had until he was startled by the sudden cheering. He was even hardly able to get a look at Chrom before the prince ran up and scooped him into his arms to give him a spin.

“Amazing, Robin!” Chrom started, grinning, “Absolutely amazing! To think you could handle a tome in a short amount of time! Is that what you’ve been up to with Miriel?”

Said mage pushed her glasses up. “There is still much work to be done, but…” she smiled and nodded towards Robin, pleased, “It was the first time he produced a spell. Well done.”

“Robin has so much potential,” Emmeryn added in, “He’s already learned so much, but he keeps pushing himself to learn even more. He really is incredible.” 

Chrom, right then, felt a little jealous because he was only catching a small glimpse of Robin’s capabilities while there was so much more to him. All in time, he reasoned with himself. All in time… Not only would Robin truly show himself, but they would both be learning together and, hopefully, forming something stronger because of it. 

 

Everyone loved Sumia’s meat pies, but he was sure this was even bringing Stahl to shame. The pegasus knight offered her pie when the pair had come to the barracks. At first, Robin seemed very unsure of the food, poking at it. He soon caught on that his lack of eating was causing Sumia distress and made to take a quick bite. One bite turned into Robin nearly inhaling the rest of his piece before offering his plate to Sumia for seconds, to which she let out a sigh of relief and giggled. Robin even took a few bites off Chrom’s portion when he thought he wasn’t looking. 

One by one, everyone took a turn interacting with Robin. Cordelia played a small tune for him on her harp and even let him play it despite not knowing how, Stahl offered a few pastry treats and made light conversation, Sully gave him a few tips on punching effectively, Maribelle bestowing clothing and talking about which colors suit him, Vaike being… Vaike. Chrom was sure Robin didn’t understand what he was saying, but enjoyed it regardless. 

It was really nice to see and Robin looked to be genuinely having a pleasant time. 

But, suddenly interacting with a larger group did drain Robin more than usual. When he caught Robin yawning, Chrom took that as their time to go for the evening. There were no complaints from the shorter male as he led him out. Once in bed, Robin nuzzled the pillow and reached for Chrom, catching his cape. 

“Robin?”

“Stay?”

How could he say no to that? Surprised, but not refusing the offer, the prince sat at the edge of the bed and watched as Robin smile a little before getting comfortable once more and drifting to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> following the original story but also not  
> weee
> 
> CHROM IS WEAK.

Ylisstol is what one would expect a city to be. The capital is always busy and bustling with people from lands far and wide; even at night. There are merchants in the streets, preachers on corners, and stores and other services lining the roads. Every thing, least to say, is quite loud- Chrom’s royal arrival only riling it up more, much to Robin’s discomfort. 

Today, the prince wished to show him what the city had to offer- or at least some of it since it was quite big. Robin could only handle so much… While Chrom’s appearance sparked much more enthusiasm, it was hardly a problem. Few approached him, but not mobs of people demanding his attention, thank Naga. Only She would know what would happen if Robin were to get caught up in something like that. 

Robin looked very small; shrinking into himself as if he could avoid being looked at as he walked besides Chrom. He didn’t like that too much, but Chrom hoped Robin could grow to be more confident and comfortable with himself sooner rather than later. Whatever the case, he’d be there to help raise him up. For now, he was okay with Robin being jumpy and clinging to his cape whenever someone got too close or spoke too loud. 

The first thing that catches Robin’s interest is a bakery. Chrom walks pass with without a second thought, be he can feel his cape being pulled taut, a result of Robin stopping in his tracks to gaze at the window display. A small smile tugs at the taller male’s lips as he steps back to Robin. He sees Robin eye the breads and pastries behind the glass with interest and curiosity. 

“Stahl,” Robin mutters, looking back at Chrom with wide, excited eyes.

Chrom laughs. “Yeah, he brings you some of these, doesn’t he?” By the way Robin continues staring at the store longingly, Chrom doesn’t really have to guess what he wants. “Want to go in?”

Robin perks up, beaming up at Chrom with a firm nod with a clumsy smile. He has gotten better at smiling, but one could tell he didn’t do it often prior to meeting Chrom by how strained it looked. But, it was genuine and that’s all it needs to be for Chrom to become a little flustered. They enter the bakery wordlessly and the place seems to go quite. There is sudden, unnecessary tension lingering now that they approach the counter. Other than that, the place is warm and comfortable, even homey, with how the fresh, home baked goods fill the air. Immediately, Chrom’s companion is at the display right next to it, eyes darting from one thing to another. 

Chrom is observing Robin and his indecisiveness when a girl approaches him from behind the counter, obviously nervous. “C-can I- what can I- err....” the redness of her face is starting to rival with her hair’s color. 

The prince holds back a laugh for the girl’s sake and instead opts to help her out. “I’ll take one of everything,” he speaks up over her stuttering in a way that doesn’t offend or embarrass her further, taking out the small pouch he allowed himself to bring in case Robin did fancy something. 

The girl, thankful for his decision, nods and hurries to fetch one of everything, leaving Chrom to set his money down. He knew he laid more money out that what everything was worth, but he had money to spare and he was willing to share it. Chrom laughs a little when he urges Robin back a bit, the other looking surprised- maybe a even a little disappointed. It is quick to go away when he finds out they they are only taking a seat rather than leaving. Not long after sitting, the varieties of pastries start coming. 

At first, Robin looks confused, staring at the food as he fidgets in his seat, and then looks up at the prince. “It’s all for you,” Chrom says with a grin, pushing a cookie towards Robin. With that permission, Robin allows himself to smile wide. 

Robin’s favorite, out of everything, was Kreppel. After eating, he hesitantly, shyly almost, tugged on Chrom’s cape and gestured towards the Kreppel display. They left with the whole display packaged safely with Robin. 

 

They are walking through the busier part of the city, where most of the traders and merchants dwell. It’s not exactly a tight fit, but they definitely need to shuffle around in order to get around. Offers are flying their way with each stall they pass. It takes awhile for merchants to stop trying to convince Chrom and go for Robin. Robin shows more interest and does try to slow down in order to listen and look at what they have to offer. Most times, the prince does have to pull him away when he smells fraud or trickery afoot. 

After a few purchases, Chrom decides to lead them out of the mess of people. They are nearing the less crowded side, where a road meets the circle, when there is a loud yip. Chrom thinks nothing at first, but he soon realizes there is a lack of weight on his cape. Slowing to a halt, the darker haired man turns to find a very nervous Robin a little ways away.

Chrom is approaching him when he carefully sets down the few things he carries and kneels, hesitantly reaching for something. Robin is startled back onto his butt when a ball of black and brown fur darts forward and starts jumping and barking excitedly. From what Chrom can see, it’s a Leonberger. Robin’s shaking hand comes to pat its head and quickly retracts his hand. When he sees the dog didn’t react poorly, he does it again. And again. He keeps tapping the top of its head until he can pet it. 

Chrom watches Robin get comfortable with the dog, his nervousness being replaced with excitement the more he plays with the puppy. The stall owner laughs in good nature at the scene and grins. “That one is the last I have to sell; his brothers and sisters have already been nabbed up! They make great companions!” 

Robin is holding the dog now, holding it towards Chrom. His eyes are big and bright. 

Uh oh.

 

“Milord,” Frederick starts.

“I know.”

_”Milord-_ ”

_”I know.”_

After escaping the merchant and trader circle, Chrom immediately brought them back to the castle.

With the dog.

Which is what Robin was currently holding. 

Chrom sets the rest of Robin’s purchases on his room’s desk and runs his hands over his face. Frederick is not letting up the disapproving stare and Chrom can feel it. 

“There’s nothing wrong with having a dog. We need something to liven things up around here, don’t you think?”

“I disagree.”

“Oh, come on. We have more than enough resources to provide for a small dog!”

Frederick’s brows furrow even more. “It’s a Leonberger.”

“Which is fine, too! I’ve always wanted a dog, anyway.”

It was that day they both found that Chrom was very weak when it came to Robin. 

The dog, despite Frederick’s complaints, was welcomed amongst the people of the castle. Lissa literally squealed and clapped at the idea of having a pet. Emmeryn gave her approval with a gentle smile. The news about the dog spread fast and it didn’t take long for everyone to make stops by Robin, who always had the puppy around, and give it attention. Maribelle didn’t seem too pleased.

At first, Robin would shield his new pet away, but would gradually allow the others to spoil the ball of excitement. It was the first “royal” pet, but it would always be Robin’s dog, Chrom reassured.

“Have you thought of a name?” Chrom asks after dinner, watching Vaike get on the ground with the dog in the dining area and play around with it. 

By the silence that followed after, Chrom assumes he is thinking about it and decides to give him time. 

“Kreppel.”

Robin flashes red immediately when Chrom barks out a laugh. 

 

Chrom gears up to go on another Shepheard run with his sister and Frederick days later. Barbarians have been running more rampant than usual, so Chrom takes it upon himself to send himself and another group out to take care of the situation. He is with Frederick at the entrance of the castle, waiting for Lissa to turn up when he hears the soft call of his name. 

“Chrom…?”

Robin isn’t too far away with Kreppel, who barks and happily runs up to Chrom before turning his attention to Frederick. 

Robin looks uneasy. Shy. Hesitant. He wants to ask something, but isn’t doing so.

“What is it, Robin?” he asks, worried.

Robin bites his lip and looks down. At that moment, Lissa makes her presence known and immediately goes for Kreppel. 

“Can I come…?”

It is a quiet request, one that is almost lost in Lissa’s giggles. Still, they all manage to hear it. It’s even more surprising to find how fluent his speech is. 

“I don’t think that would be wise at this point in time,” Chrom slowly answers, not wanting to hurt his feelings, “It is very dangerous and you still need training.”

Robin manages to look up, looking hurt despite Chrom’s gentle tone. “But…” he glaces to Frederick and Lissa sadly, “You are all…”

“You have Emm here,” Chrom tries to comfort, “She still has lessons to give you, right? Her and Miriel? If… If you are able to improve by our next mission, then you can come, okay?”

Robin stares and considers the offer with a frown. 

“It’s not that you _aren’t_ good,” Chrom adds, “You just need to be confident at what you do. It is dangerous, so you can’t afford to make mistakes. It’s life and death.” He can see Robin processing his words offers a small smile. “We’ll be gone for a week at max. That’s a lot of time to study.”

Robin still looks disappointed, but nods anyway. Chrom feels like he let him down, and in turn, feels guilty.

“We need to get going now, Robin. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay... “ 

 

The first three days seem to drag on. Even with the battles they face with groups of Barbarians, Plegian, if their accent is anything to go by, the days don’t seem to go by any faster. During his free time, Chrom finds himself thinking about Robin, worried about the male being left behind. That, or he would find something that would interest him. Chrom remembers coming across an open field, save for one tree in the middle of it all, and thinking how Robin would probably like to rest there. 

Chrom wipes his brow after striking down the last of the Barbarians that managed to raid a village. After they helped put the fires out, the village’s leader welcomed them to rest and dine their for the night. Lissa was all up for it, going on about the specifics of her taste in food when Frederick cut in and politely decline his offer. Lissa looked like she was ready to scream. 

She complained and scolded Frederick as they left the village. He seemed amused by it, which only frustrated her more.

They ate bear meat that night. Lissa complained even more. The night was pleasant, as were the conversions and atmosphere. As the night wore on, they finally called it quits and made themselves comfortable enough to rest. 

That was until Chrom woke up to find Lissa missing. 

She could have went to “do her business” if the forest, but it still wasn’t safe… He’d have to be cautious as he looked for her, making himself known so he didn’t stumble upon sights he didn’t wish to see.

He doesn’t have to look long, but his worry is at an all time high when the ground shakes beneath their feet. Lissa stumbles into him, unable to keep her balance, and then shrieks when the land in front of them cracks open. 

“Lissa, run!” Chrom orders, startling his sister, “I mean it. Go!”

Stumbling like a newborn horse, the blonde’s legs react and dart away from the danger. Chrom lingers a little longer before dashing away, hearing the ground crack and shift beneath them. There are a million thoughts running through his head as he struggles to keep upright, but the main question keeps repeating itself. Why is this happening? What happened?

There is fire now. Chrom can feel the heat, smell the smoke. What the hell happened? 

“This way!” he called out to his sister as he jumps from the shifted land to safety.

His heart is pounding, his mind reeling as he pants, as he tries to make sense of all this. He can hear Frederick, but cannot make out his words. Then, there is a scream. 

“Chrom! What _is_ that?!” Lissa cries out, pointing behind Chrom.

He whips around to find a person- no, a _creature_ pulling itself out of the ground. Chrom is too stunned to make out any words. What in Naga’s name _was_ it? What was going on?! Fear races through him as he takes ahold of his blade and immediately makes to strike down the horrid looking creature down. It takes more work than he thought. The thing is able to understand perform basic combat. 

Lissa screams again by the time he manages to kill the thing, watching it _disintegrate._ There’s another one leering over her, the blonde holding her staff out in a weak attempt at shielding herself. Chrom calls out her name as he watches the being raise its weapon, his mouth going dry and chest tightening as he runs like a madman to them. 

Frederick is there in a matter of seconds, spearing the dark creature with his lance with little to no effort. Chrom only relaxes when he has his sister in his arms, looking her over for any injuries. 

“Wh-w-what was that?” she stammers out, shaking but not hurt. Her eyes are wide with fear, tears pricking at their edges. 

“It’s not safe to be here,” Frederick comments, tense and on edge. 

Chrom has his own questions and comments, but tries to come up with a solution. As he scrambles for an answer, he suddenly pales.

“Milord…?”

“The capital…” he murmurs, looking to each of them.

Panic sets in.


End file.
